


Dog Days of Summer

by junko



Series: Sixty-Nine Shades of Gray [4]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-08
Updated: 2012-08-08
Packaged: 2017-11-11 17:17:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/480951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji is really cut up about Shūhei.  Meanwhile, Kira has decided to the way to cheer him up is to play match-maker.  Yet, the perfect match may be closer than they think….</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dog Days of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> It takes these boys a long time to get there because I had so much fun imagining what a trainwreck Renji would be on various dates, so if you're reading for the naughty bits... skip to the end. I won't judge. ;-) In fact this can be read without previous knowledge of the other parts of this series, if you wish. All you need to know is that the alternate universe part of ths story is that Kira and Renji are working at a host club over the summer break from Academy and that Kira plays dress-up as a girl when working. Renji is super out as bi, and has been harboring a not-so-secret crush on Hisagi, who approached him at the club in the previous installment (and things ended tragically awkwardly, actually.)
> 
> Also, just as a point of interest: Do you know how hard it is to find words in English that start with an H and end with an I??
> 
> And Kira figures into this story so strongly because, I just wanted to write ALL THE KIRA! *cries!*
> 
> Also, as a late addition note: There's an additional story in this series, that's really more of a sequel/one-shot called, "Love Thought Lost" and you can find it here: <http://archiveofourown.org/works/2233326>

Ostensibly, Renji was helping Kira with the dishes, though he’d been drying the same plate for the last five minutes. They were standing in the narrow kitchen in the apartment Kira rented in the First District for the summer. Renji leaned a hip against the deep basin, mindlessly polishing the same plate over and over, while Kira was elbow-deep in water. Soap slopped onto the apron Kira wore. The apron was honestly the only reason Renji’d originally agreed to help—he secretly thought Kira looked cute in it, a little like girl-Kira, his host club persona. The color was the same blue that matched his eyes and had white frills.

“What is wrong with you?” Kira said, taking the plate from him and exchanging it with another. “You’ve been moping around for days.”

“Huh?” Renji said, blinking at the new plate for a second before starting his same, slow ministrations. He answered Kira’s question with a shrug. “I don’t know.”

Kira pursed his lips and gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m going to take a wild guess. It’s starts with an ‘h’ and ends with an ‘i.’”

Renji put the plate on the stack with the others in the cabinet and pretended to be struggling to puzzle out Kira’s riddle. “I have no idea what you mean. Uh, ‘ hibachi’, ‘hegari’ or maybe ‘hongi’?”

Kira whapped him on the bicep with a wet dish towel, “You really are dense, aren’t you?”

“Listen, I already told you six times I don’t want to talk about Hisagi,” Renji growled, snapping his friend’s butt with his own towel. If Kira kept harping on this subject, Renji was going to twist the towel up good and really show Kira the new skills he possessed with a whip. “You’re the idiot who keeps bringing him up when I told you to leave it alone.”

Kira stopped fussing with the dishes and put his soapy hands on his hips. He frowned very seriously at Renji for a long moment. Then his expression softened and he sighed, “At least tell me what the hell happened that night. I’m worried about you, okay?”

Renji rubbed the back of his neck. Kira was giving him that ‘look,’ the one Rukia had perfected back in Inuzuri. The one that said ‘stop acting so tough, I know you’re hurt and I want to help.’

Renji hated that look. He couldn’t resist it--not on her, not on anyone. “Okay,” he said, finally giving in with a sigh. “When you look at me, what do you see?”

Kira was taken aback by the question. He fumbled a little before settling on, “Uh, well, I mean, you’re big… kind of looming, actually… with very bushy, very crazy-bright hair….”

“No, not physically, you dope. I know what I fucking _look_ like,” Renji said, trying to figure how best to ask what he wanted to know. “I mean, like, what kind of boyfriend.”

“Oh.” A light blush bloomed on Kira’s cheeks. “Renji, I’m sorry. You know I don’t think of you that way.”

Renji sighed. And everyone thought he was such an idiot. “Jeez, Kira, I know you don’t. But, what I’m trying to ask is: do you think _anyone_ does?”

Kira’s frown deepened, and then he lifted a delicate shoulder. “Someone must. You’re always busy at the club.”

“No, I’m not,” Renji said, turning to try to find something with which to occupy his hands and to keep himself from having to look at Kira while he spoke, “I bartend most nights. When I’m busy is after hours. I’m busy with people who very expressly don’t want a boyfriend. I’m busy with people who want something--” _dark and dirty_. His jaw worked but he couldn’t bring himself to say that, so he gripped the sink and said, “They want something else entirely.”

Kira’s hand, wet and wrinkled from the dishwater, rested on his back, lightly. Renji could feel it soaking through his shirt. “If it’s like that, Renji, why do it? Why don’t you quit?”

“Because,” he said, shaking off Kira’s pity, “Most of the time it isn’t like that at all. A lot of the times it’s just a job, and I can manage to have some real fun with it--especially with the people that don’t….” now he was coming to the real problem, “…matter.”

Kira seemed to grasp the situation instantly. “Oh, I see,” he said. “Hisagi wanted all that stuff, huh? You wanted more.”

“Right,” Renji admitted. 

Kira nodded as if deciding something. He stripped off the frilly apron and set it on the counter. “Okay. I can fix this. What you need is ice cream.”

“What?”

“Well, that’s how I get over a boy. We’ll go get ice cream…” Kira seemed to suddenly notice Renji’s scowling face, and quickly added, “…and beer. Or maybe just beer.”

#

They settled on both. At the corner akachōchin, Renji stopped in long enough to get a couple bottles to take away, and now he and Kira walked down toward the park in search of a street vendor. The first district’s narrow streets were full of people setting up shop for the evening. There were food stalls of all variety, tantalizing Renji’s nose with the scents of roasting chicken, frying fish, and the sharp tang of pickles. He could have stopped at any one of them, but Kira dragged him onward, clearly on a mission. Kira came to a halt in front of older man using a hand-crank to spin a block of ice around a blade. 

“If kakigōri doesn’t cure your ills,” Kira announced proudly. “Nothing will.”

Kira ordered a lemon flavor and Renji decided to try sweet plum. They were handed spoons and paper cups full of syrup-flavored shaved ice, topped with condensed milk. They took their treats to the park where they found an unoccupied shady spot to sit.

The sun was starting to set. Couples and families walked along the park’s wide path, enjoying the evening air or letting the kids run off a little steam before settling in for the night. Renji watched two boys chasing each other with sticks playing ‘shinigamis and hollows,’ and wondered, like he always did, what his life would have been like if he and Rukia been reborn somewhere like this instead of Inuzuri.

It was easy to imagine things would have been better, but fate was a funny thing. 

Watching a father ruffle the hair of one of the boys, it was hard to remember that none of these families were blood--they’d all chosen each other after rebirth, just like he and Rukia had. So who knows what kind of people they’d have been picked by? He and Rukia might never have met. Or, they still could have ended up on their own, on the streets. You didn’t see as much of that here, but Renji was sure it happened. And, anyway, just because those kids knew where their next meal was coming from didn’t mean they were any luckier—they could be saddled with all sorts of bullshit. 

If the big move up to Academy had taught Renji anything about life, it was that there were shitheads born to every class, in every district. Class did not automatically make you a better person. In fact, if the clients at the club were any indication, there was just as much, if not more, perversion to be found among the ‘leisure’ class. Maybe it wasn’t always such a good thing to have so much time and idle hands….

At any rate, class sure as fuck wasn’t any kind of cushion against tragedy, either--look at poor Kira: he’d lost his folks and was on his own, completely alone. He didn’t even have someone like Rukia to watch his back. 

Renji supposed only real difference between the classes was whether you dealt with life’s general shit rich or you dealt with it poor. 

Still. It might have nice not to have spent so much of his life hungry, cold, and terrified.

A park would have been pretty fucking awesome, too.

“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Kira said, digging into his shaved ice. Renji still couldn’t believe Kira had gone with the lemon flavor. Given that the consistency of the treat was like snow, it seemed to Renji a little like choosing something piss-colored. “I’m going to find you a nice… person. Someone to date.”

Renji frowned at Kira. He used his teeth to pull out the cork on a bottle of beer before handing one to Kira. “Someone to date?” he repeated slowly, not sure he liked the sound of it. “Do you even know what I like?”

“No, that’s the thing,” Kira said leaning back against the tree trunk. He was wearing a simple kimono. It was a lovely shade of dark green and highlighted his blond hair. Nice, though much more subdued than anything he’d wear at the club. “I need a list. What are some characterizations you look for in a lover?”

Renji lifted up his fingers and started counting off, “Breathing,” he said as number one. “Human,” he added, lifting the second finger. He hesitated for a moment and, then curled the finger back into his fist, “Though I could be flexible on that one.”

Kira waited a moment for more, and then stared incredulously at the single digit Renji had raised in the air. Of course, Renji had started counting with his thumb, so he’d ended up making a rude gesture. “Gah! Put your hand down,” Kira hissed. Then he asked, “Really? That’s it? Are you serious?”

“I told you I was easy,” Renji said with a shrug, and a long pull on his bottle of beer.

Kira started shaking his head like he always seemed to whenever he and Renji had any kind of prolonged conversation. “You must have some other preferences. I know gender doesn’t matter, but, come on, Renji. Look back on your life. There has to be a type—something physical or particular personality traits—that you’re drawn to, doesn’t there?”

“Strength,” Renji said without hesitation. “You know what I find sexy? Someone who’s cool under pressure.”

“Okay,” Kira said brightening. He nodded happily, encouraging. “That’s something to go on. Anything else?”

“Elegance.” Renji noticed Kira’s eyebrows rising at that one. He waved him off, “It’s not that I’m reaching for something out of my league—not necessarily, anyway. No, in fact, it would probably be hotter to me if someone could carry that off without the advantage of money. You know, someone classy, someone with style and grace.”

“Suddenly, this is a lot harder than ‘breathing,’” Kira said, taking a long drink from his beer. He gave Renji another measuring look, “And you couldn’t be hoping for someone more opposite.”

“What? I’m strong,” Renji bristled, “I’ve totally got style.”

“Yeah, you certainly have your own unique style, Renji. But, come on--you’re hardly what anyone would classify as ‘elegant,’ and… cool under pressure? It’s more like, when the pressure’s on, you run headlong into it, screaming bloody murder.”

Renji nodded, taking another drink. “There is that.”

“Still, this is good. I just have to find your polar opposite and… somehow hook you up.”

Renji had polished off his kakigōri some time ago and was looking at what Kira had left in his bowl covetously. “Too bad there isn’t kidō for that, huh? A little love spell would be helpful.”

“There’s always folk magic, which I’ve read about--but, don’t worry. It won’t come down to that. I’ve got this, Renji. You just have to trust me. I’ll find the perfect person for you.”

#

The first date Kira set Renji up on was an unmitigated disaster.

Renji had agreed based on looks. The guy sitting across from him at the restaurant was very, very pretty. In fact, Renji kind wondered if Kira didn’t pick this one because he was so good-looking that he could easily pass for either gender. He had long straight, chestnut brown hair that he kept having to flip over his shoulder when it fell into his eyes. He dressed well, in a very subdued man’s kimono. A rich brown in color, it was plain, though clearly of an expensive, tailored cut, and there were subtle patterns embroidered in slightly darker thread along sleeves and hems. The undershirt was a contrasting moss green, which somehow imparted an air of sophistication and taste.

He was really quite lovely to look at.

Unfortunately, he was an asshole.

Not just annoyingly prissy like you might expect given the outward package, but a serious asshole, who, Renji was beginning to think might actually be a little creepy. It made Renji wonder--what the fuck did Kira go for in men, if he had this guy on ‘speed dial,’ as it were?

“So,” the creep said, batting his very strikingly pale green eyes, “What was it like in Inuzuri?”

“’Like’? What do you mean?”

His pale long-boned fingers held the chopsticks loosely in such a way that it brought the image of a praying mantis to Renji’s mind. “I mean,” his lashes dropped coyly, “You must have been very desperate.”

Renji frowned and popped a bit of shrimp in his mouth as an excuse not to have answer right away. What was this guy looking for here, anyway? He seemed weirdly excited by Renji’s past, but what as sexy about… what was he calling it? ‘Desperation’? “I don’t know,” he said finally. “I guess.”

Thing was, desperation was a difficult thing to measure. You can’t miss what you never had… or couldn’t even imagine. Inuzuri had just been… Inuzuri. Renji had nothing to compare his situation to before coming to Academy.

The pretty boy sighed, pushing his food around a little. “You must have some entertaining stories, something scandalous you had to do to make ends meet.”

Entertaining? Scandalous? 

Maybe the clue here was ‘had to do.’

“Oh, okay,” Renji said, pushing back from the table a little. He set the chopsticks on their holder and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I get it now. You want to hear about all the cock I was forced to suck in some back alley just to pay the rent or something, right?”

Disgustingly, the pretty little fuck sat up a little, clearly thrilled at the image. “You poor thing,” he said insincerely, and then, just in case his interest wasn’t obvious, he asked breathlessly, “Did you really?”

“No,” Renji said succinctly. “It’s bad barter.”

“What?”

“It’s a crap-ass trade. If some creep like you came down to Inuzuri looking for a cheap blow, you know what he’s going to get? Robbed,” despite his harsh words, Renji spoke calmly, patiently. “Sucking your dick isn’t worth the effort. It’s easier to knock you over and take your stuff. Why would I degrade myself for pennies when I could beat the shit out you for nothing and get to keep my pride as well as make off with the entire contents of your purse, your clothes, your shoes and, if you’re disgusting and piss me off enough, your stupid miserable life? There’s no one in Inuzuri going to go for option ‘A’ either. Because if you think you can go after the weaker ones, you’ll find out exactly why they call us dogs. Little brother’s got a pack full of bigger guys like me, watching his back, all ready to rip your throat out if you try.”

The pretty creep flinched throughout Renji’s entire explanation of Inuzuri economics, but managed to sniff, “Goodness, me. I wasn’t talking about myself. I wouldn’t dream of taking advantage like that.”

“I believe you wouldn’t; but I sure as shit think you fantasize about it.” Renji stood up. He was done here. “Listen, I got diner, okay? I wouldn’t want to owe you anything.”

#

The second date wasn’t much better, though it lasted a little longer. 

The woman Kira set Renji up was an unseated officer from the Court Guard. She was tall and broad and could probably best be described as ‘handsome.’ Apparently, Kira’s understanding of bisexuality was to assume Renji wanted something exactly in the middle of gender stereotypes. Still, Renji found her pleasant enough company and they’d managed to wander up and down the shopping district without incident. He was even carrying all her bags and boxes.

Which was why the trouble started…. 

She’d found them a place for lunch and was standing in front of the door, apparently waiting for something. People in the queue behind them were getting cranky.

“What’s wrong?” Renji asked. “Open the door, would you?”

“I was hoping a gentleman would open it for me.”

“Well, we seem to be fresh out of those, so any time now.”

She made a disparaging noise and clucked her tongue, though she did consent to open the door for herself. She did, however, let it slam back in Renji’s face. He managed to get himself in with the use of toes and elbows and help from someone coming out. 

When he found her at a table, Renji dumped her stuff down on to the tatami unceremoniously. He plopped himself down opposite of her and frowned at the menu for a second before saying, “What was that about?”

“A gentleman opens a door for a lady. It’s basic chivalry.”

“Really? Because it sounds like bull to me; I prefer common courtesy, myself.”

“Language, please. A lady has delicate ears.”

“What language? I left off the ‘shit.’ And, where’s all this nobility you keep talking about, anyway?” Renji gestured to her uniform, “You’re a soldier, just like I’m training to be. Shouldn’t I assume you’re just as capable of opening a door as I am? Doesn’t that show respect better than a bunch of dumb rules that seem to assume there’s a weaker sex?”

“A lady likes to be treated special.”

“I get that,” Renji said. “ _Anybody_ likes that. But what’s so fucking special about thinking you’re a moron or too feeble to work a door latch? Or that a couple of swear words are going to melt your delicate ears?”

She shook her head, as though in despair. “Kira warned me that you were from Inuzuri, but somehow I didn’t think you’d be a complete barbarian.”

“I’m not,” Renji said, scratching behind his ear with a deliberately broad gesture. “I haven’t had fleas in at least six months.”

#

Later that week, Kira was sitting at the bar at the host club nursing a beer and delicately nibbling on roasted endamame. It was a particularly slow night for some reason. Renji thought it was probably the heat—which was stifling inside the close, dark club. 

“It would be helpful, you know,” Kira sighed, fanning himself furiously, “if you wouldn’t deliberately provoke them.”

“You know what’d be even better?” Renji had had time to reorganize the bottles behind the bar and was now wiping down the counter for the sixth time, “If you stopped picking assholes.”

“You can blame them if you want, but I got the same exact complaint, Renji, almost verbatim: ‘he’s too sensitive about growing up in Inuzuri.’”

Renji tucked the rag back behind the bar. Straightening, he ran his fingers through his loose hair and considered Kira’s comment seriously. Was that true? He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t constantly aware of differences, but was that a fair assessment of what had gone wrong on with the matchmaking? 

“I don’t know, Kira,” he said finally, “I mean, yeah, it came down to that, but I didn’t start it with either of them. Honest.”

Kira was shaking his head again, sending curls and pearls bobbing around his elfin features. “Maybe I need to find someone from further out. They both came from high districts. I suppose it was bound to happen.” He tapped the folded fan against lightly painted lips, “Maybe if the distance isn’t so great.”

Renji shrugged, going back to cleaning up the bar, despite it being spotless. “I’m up for anything. But, maybe you shouldn’t worry so much about the strong and elegant requirements. I’m thinking that’s not as important as, say, ‘nice.’”

Kira pursed his lips and then stuck out a tongue. It was weird to Renji how sexy that looked to him when Kira was all made up like a girl. “Fine,” Kira said, “But you have to promise to be more accommodating.”

“You mean: put up with their insults,” Renji sneered.

“If that’s what it takes. Try, at least, to get to the good-night kiss.”

It sounded like a challenge. “Fine.”

#

Renji was determined to get to the end of this date if it killed him. But this time Kira had picked the most inane, bubble-headed boy Renji had ever met in his entire life. The word ‘frivolous’ kept coming into his mind. 

He was, at least, nice.

And breathing.

So far.

Though how he could be was a mystery to Renji, since he talked so non-stop that Renji seriously thought the kid might run out of air at some point and pass out cold. On the plus side, by letting him go on and on, Renji had made it to dessert. Victory was within sight.

When the talk got too trivial, Renji just smiled at him and nodded occasionally. He wasn’t bad-looking--definitely in the handsome range, though not spectacular, like the first guy. He wore his black hair short and closely-cropped, though a single, thin beaded braid snaked down his back. The kimono he wore was a deep golden amber with a pattern of rose-petals embroidered in burnished copper throughout.

The boy giggled and said, “Oh, enough about me, what about you?”

The kid had asked this question a couple of times before, but Renji figured his best strategy for making it to the goodnight kiss was to stay away from himself as a topic of conversation. “You know,” he said, instead, “That’s a beautiful kimono. Where did you get that?”

It worked.

They made it all the way through a huge plate of delicious cream candies called chestnut kintons, before Renji’s date tried again, “No, seriously,” he said. “Can’t you tell me something about yourself? What do you do for a living?”

“I’ll be a sophomore at Academy next year,” Renji said, finally giving in a little. After all, they were out the door and down the street. “This summer I’m working at a host club.”

“A… host club?”

Crap. His one answer and clearly something was wrong with it. Renji wondered if he just grabbed this guy and planted a wet one on him in the middle of the street it would count as a good-night kiss.

“You?” The date was clearly stunned. His face was pale, “At a host club? What… what kind of host club?”

“What do you mean, ‘what kind’? It seems like the regular kind to me.”

“You don’t… I mean, you don’t dress in costume, do you?”

Renji shrugged, still trying to figure out if he could angle in for a kiss at some point in case the date decided to bolt. Maybe it would still qualify if he just blew him a kiss as he scurried away. “Not exactly,” Renji said thinking of his somewhat trashy kimono. Then, with a little laugh, he said, “But, yeah, no. I mean, I’d make a pretty scary girl, don’t you think?”

“But there are men dressed as women there?”

“Sure,” Renji said frowning. Wasn’t this guy supposed to be a friend of Kira’s? “You got some kind of problem with that?”

“No, of course not, I mean as long as you’re not one of them.”

“Good-bye.” Renji leaned in and put a kiss on the top of his date’s head. Then he turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of the street.

# 

“Nice means all the way down, Kira,” Renji said the next morning. “Not just the surface.”

The air was starting to turn cooler, so they sat on the floor in the living room with the balcony door open to the air. The breakfast table sat between them. Renji was still in his favorite flowered robe, and Kira had only gotten as far as hakama. Renji ladled miso into bowls for them.

“I had no idea,” Kira said blurrily. He’d been out late last night on a date of his own. Renji was actually dying to hear how Kira’s night had gone, especially considering he’d snuck in just before dawn and there seemed to be bite marks on his neck. “Thing is, I try to keep my lives separate. Most of my friends don’t know about the club. Honestly, I can’t believe you told him.”

“Well, why not? It’s not like I have anything to be ashamed of,” Renji said. When he saw Kira’s gaze drop and a blush color his cheeks, Renji added, “And neither do you! You look gorgeous at the club and it makes you happy. Fuck anyone who judges that.”

“Sometimes I utterly adore you,” Kira said, his eyes shiny. “Too bad we can’t date.”

“Yeah,” Renji smiled lasciviously, “But you’re the one who came home late last night. So… is this someone special?”

Kira’s blush deepened, “No, just someone from the club, an ‘after.’”

“Oh.” Renji was a little surprised. Kira didn’t usually do a lot of dating with guys from the club. He said it ruined the illusion for a lot of people, and he had a lot of success as a hostess, playing one interested party off another and never giving in.

Kira drank up the rest of his soup and changed the subject. “I think I have the perfect girl for you, though.”

Renji shook his head, taking a bite of fish, “You know, maybe we should just forget this. Maybe I am too picky or too sensitive or something, after all. A lover just complicates things anyway. I’m not going to have time for all that when school starts. I’ve always got an overloaded schedule, between classes and my tutors. School is more my thing, anyway. I can always throw myself into work.”

The look on Kira’s face was one of pity, and Renji found he couldn’t look at it for very long. 

Picking up the breakfast tray, Renji headed for the kitchen. “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Alright,” Kira said.

#

Inuzuri instincts had Renji sitting up on his elbows, blinking away sleep when Kira softly pushed the door open to Renji’s room. Renji frowned in confusion, his eyes widening at the sight of the pillow tucked under Kira’s arm. Kira was still only half-dressed and the sunlight from the open door made his naked chest look bright white. Even though he’d sat across from him at breakfast, something about how Kira stood made Renji suddenly notice the soft, rosebud pink of Kira’s nipples. And, the scratches and other marks from last night’s sex, and Renji felt a strange desire to protect Kira from whoever had done that, marred his perfect skin.

But Kira was coming in, moving toward the mattress Renji occupied.

“What are you—?” Renji started.

Kira put a finger to his lips and settled down next to Renji on the floor. “Go back to sleep,” Kira said, snuggling up under Renji’s arm.

Renji nodded and lay back down on his back. Kira curved his body into Renji’s side, a comfortable fit. Gently, he laid a hand on Renji’s chest.

Neither of them were breathing, though Renji tried to relax. It was difficult knowing there was so much of Kira’s half-naked body pressing into his. Turning his head, Renji took in the smell of Kira’s hair, always so clean with the spicy scent of whatever styling product he used. It felt good to have someone—anyone—tucked up beside him.

Plus, Kira was a good size. He was small enough for Renji to be able to wrap an arm all the way around, nice and tight, and yet big enough not to have to… worry. Sometimes, back in Inuzuri when Rukia would lay next to him for warmth, Renji would lose sleep fretting about crushing her; she was so tiny compared to him. 

Renji could almost sleep, except for the fact that his hand touched nude flesh—a sexy spot, too, taut stomach just below the ribs. Renji’s fingers brushed lightly against smooth skin and surprisingly hard muscles.

And, then there was that soft sigh that had escaped Kira’s lips at the pressure of Renji’s one-armed hug. Kira’s breath tickled against Renji’s collarbone.

“You’re breathing,” Renji said with a slightly dark chuckle. “You know what kind of turn on that is for me.”

“Oh,” Kira’s voice was small, fluttery, “And your hand is on me. You have no idea how sexy I find your hands.”

No, he didn’t. “I thought you didn’t think about me that way.”

“I… just think about parts of you, that’s all.” Kira’s hand snuck under Renji’s robe and began a slow move downward.

Renji could already feel ‘parts’ stirring. Kira’s other hand was reaching to untie Renji’s obi. “Uh, Kira—are you sure? We’re friends. I don’t want to wreck that.”

“This doesn’t have to. Not if you don’t ruin everything with all your irritating talking.”

“Oh. Right,” Renji said. “No talking. I won’t say anythi—oh!” Kira’s hand had closed around the base of his cock, and the sudden, intense pleasure caused Renji to lose all ability to formulate coherent words, anyway. He propped himself up on his elbows to see what Kira was doing.

Renji was already hard and straining, and Kira seemed to take a moment to admire the sight of him like that, his dressing gown open revealing a riot of ink and russet curls of pubic hair.

“It’s darker than I thought it would be,” Kira said, looking sort of disappointed at the color between his legs.

Renji shrugged. He got this reaction a lot, actually. “Is yours as bright?”

“I guess not—no, it’s nearly brown, actually.”

“There you go.” Kira continued to frown, until Renji shifted his hips. “Uh, so was that the part you were fantasizing about? Look, is this a deal breaker?”

“No, of course not,” Kira said with the barest, flirtatious glance and smile. “It was actually this,” his hand moved in a way that made Renji take in a shuddering breath, and grip the futon’s sheets with his curling fists. “And it’s exactly how I imagined, if not bigger and better.”

“Uhn,” was all Renji could say. 

Pushing Renji’s legs apart gently, Kira crawled between them. He nearly lay down, resting on his forearms. Then, he opened his mouth wide, and took all of Renji inside. Such a sight he made, the point of his almost-white blond hair plunging towards Renji’s stomach. Renji groaned and resisted the urge to thrust up, hard. He was squirming, though, unable to keep still under Kira’s amazing techniques of tongue and mouth and teeth. The sucking noises alone were doing Renji’s head in, they were so arousing.

_Gods, Kira could make a million bucks doing this…_

_Oh, shit, that’s right. He probably does._

Renji’s body flushed hot with jealousy. How many others had Kira done this with? Why did Renji suddenly want to kill them all?

Yet, Renji could feel himself rushing toward completion. It would be over in a second, if he didn’t change the pace. “Wait, wait…” he panted, reaching for Kira and tugging his hair. “Come here, I want to kiss you.”

Though he looked a little surprised, Kira complied. Renji’s groan deepened when lips left his cock bare to the open air, but he grabbed Kira’s face and pulled him up his body until their mouths collided bruisingly. When their tongues met, Renji could taste the salty musk of his own body. 

He let his hands explore Kira’s hair and body at their own pace, which apparently was frantic--because, in a minute, he was ripping at hakama, desperate to see Kira bare. When silk started to tear over Kira’s ass, Kira pulled from their kiss, “Oh, Renji. I’m sorry. I can’t… I’m too sore from--” Kira stopped, unable to finish and blushing furiously. A super-cute, bright red strip colored his face across the bridge of his nose.

“Don’t worry about that. I just want your skin on mine,” Renji said, pulling him back into a kiss to let him know exactly how sincere he was.

With Kira’s help, the hakama finally slipped off. Renji struggled out of his robe and rolled over, pinning Kira beneath him.

“Oh!” Kira breathed in surprise of having Renji on top of him, even though Renji held up his own weight by his arms.

Kira looked nervous, his hands on Renji’s chest as if holding him back. “Don’t be scared. I'm not going to hurt you,” Renji said with a smile he hoped wasn’t too predatory, though he was very hungry for this and it probably showed. “I told you all I wanted was to kiss you a little. Just let me, okay?”

Kira nodded, though he still looked a little anxious. 

Renji leaned down and nibbled on Kira’s ear, teasing playfully until he elicited a soft moan from Kira. He wanted to do the same to his neck, but Renji stopped when he saw the bite marks someone else had left. So, instead, he just left soft, fluttering kisses lightly on skin along throat and collarbone. However, Renji did stop to suckle at those rosebud nipples, nipping and licking until Kira grabbed his hair and cried out in passion. 

Kira pulled so hard that Renji’s hair tie gave way, and unruly red locks spilled down covering Kira’s trim chest. “Oh my god, yes!” Kira shouted.

 _Apparently_ , Renji thought with a smile, as he continued his downward progress, _hair was a big turn on for Kira_. Who would have suspected that Renji’s mess of a mane would work so well for him?

But Renji was down as far as he could go. He just didn’t have Kira’s skill, though he had a plan he hoped would work for both of them. So he moved back up to capture Kira’s lips with his own.

Kira’s fingers tangled themselves in Renji’s hair, deepening their kiss.

Renji’s hand moved down the space between them. He was happy to discover that with a bit of maneuvering he could actually hold them both. Kira made a happy, surprised noise against Renji’s teeth as Renji began to stroke them simultaneously. He increased the rhythm until they both began to sweat and pant. Kira’s fingers were fists in his hair as Renji brought them both to a crescendo of hot, sticky release.

“Oh my god, I knew I loved your hands,” Kira sighed into Renji’s chest once he’d caught his breath.

Renji just smiled and rolled onto his side, pulling Kira into a tight hug. He let his eyes drift shut, content to have a warm, satisfied body curled up close to him. Kira tucked his head under Renji’s chin, his arms close to his face, almost like a child. Renji wrapped himself around Kira’s narrow frame, protectively.

Renji knew this had started as a pity fuck, but he thought it had turned out pretty well for all that.

Even if it never happened again, it had been just what he needed.

No regrets.

Renji kissed the top of Kira’s head, only feeling a little guilty that he still sort of wished it was Shūhei’s breath hitching almost like sobs against chest. “Kiss me,” he whispered.

Only it was Kira that did.


End file.
